CongaChops Masterclass Series
ROBERTO VIZCAÍNO JR. MASTERCLASS
Step-by-step independence on congas, with the Latin Grammy-winning percussionist of Chucho Valdés’s Royal Quartet
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A CongaChops Masterclass dedicated to one of the most transformative concepts in modern Afro-Cuban percussion: developing true independence across multiple instruments at once.
Few players carry a legacy as deep as Roberto Vizcaíno Jr., son of Cuban pioneer Roberto Vizcaíno, who revolutionized the implementation of independence in Afro-Cuban percussion. Currently holding down the rhythm section alongside Horacio “El Negro” Hernández in Chucho Valdés’s Royal Quartet, Roberto Jr. has forged his own path and taken that concept further. In this masterclass, he breaks it down step by step, from a single clave note against a conga pattern to clave in the foot, marcha in one hand and cáscara in the other, closing with a nine-minute open solo, and shows you exactly what becomes possible when those concepts are fully internalized.
More from inside the Masterclass…
On demand · In Spanish, with English and Spanish subtitles · 60+ min · Congas and percussion
Roberto on growing up with his father, the great percussionist Roberto Vizcaíno
An independence exercise: clave on a foot pedal under a conga pattern
Who this Masterclass is for
All levels. We recommend finishing Congas 101 and Conga Fundamentals first, plus the independence lessons in our Timbal Curriculum.
Conga players looking to expand their rhythmic possibilities by adding clave with a foot pedal
Players on any Afro-Cuban instrument who want their hands and feet to work independently, and musically
What you’ll learn
- How to build independence one clave note at a time, starting with basic strokes and simple phrases
- Clave on a jam block with a foot pedal against the marcha (tumbao), then the marcha in one hand, left and right
- How to combine a conga pattern in one hand, the cáscara rhythm in the other and foot-played clave, then double the cáscara and swap hands
- How to turn any method book into independence practice, “even if the book is not about independence”
What’s Included
- Over 60 minutes of exclusive video content
- The full interview: growing up with his father’s tapes, the conservatory in Morelia, and playing with Chucho Valdés
- Step-by-step independence lessons on conga, with clave on a foot-pedal jam block
- The masterclass PDF transcriptions
- A nine-minute open solo on his full percussion setup, plus 3 more solo videos on conga and timbal
- A playlist of Roberto Jr.’s favorite influential records
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What members are saying
“Roberto’s masterclass was so cool! The independence exercises are really challenging and once I have them down will really do a lot to add more versatility to my playing.”
“WOW! No words to describe what I just witnessed.”
“I found his breakdown of the clave on his foot with the marcha especially useful and will be dusting off my own foot pedal to see how much further I can take that particular exercise.”
Your trial also unlocks
Learn independence in the Afro-Cuban musical tradition from a next-generation master.
Plus the entire CongaChops library with your 7-day free trial.
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